Rainforests are dense, tropical or subtropical forests that are characterized by high levels of rainfall, typically receiving over 1750-2000 millimeters (69-78 inches) annually. These vibrant ecosystems are incredibly diverse, housing an estimated half of the world’s plant and animal species, many of which are found nowhere else on Earth. Rainforests are crucial for maintaining global biodiversity and play a vital role in regulating the Earth’s climate by absorbing vast amounts of carbon dioxide. They are commonly categorized into two types: tropical rainforests, which are found near the equator and include the Amazon and Congo rainforests, and temperate rainforests, which are found in coastal, cooler regions like the Pacific Northwest of the United States. Despite their ecological importance, rainforests face significant threats from human activities, including deforestation, logging, and agriculture, leading to habitat loss and a reduction in biodiversity.
Huge understory fires are spreading throughout the state in northern Brazil as drought and heat turn the rainforest into tinder. Roraima—Brazil’s northernmost state—has a wet…
Global warming may be interacting with regional rainfall and deforestation to accelerate forest loss in the Amazon, pushing it toward partial or total collapse. Research…
The Amazon rainforest could approach a tipping point, which could lead to a large-scale collapse with serious implications for the global climate system. A new…
A new species of spiny mouse has been discovered in Ecuador, making it the 14th of its genus to be identified in the past five years. Neacomys…
Research suggests future changes, including a reduction in Earth’s ability to store carbon. Certain sections of the Amazonian lowland rainforests, which are vital for carbon…
NASA’s GEDI, a space laser, has provided a groundbreaking, detailed structural view of the world’s rainforests, enabling researchers to further understand these complex ecosystems. Uncovering…
C16 Biosciences, founded by MIT alumni, has developed a microbial oil to replace palm oil, whose production reaps environmental devastation. MIT students David Heller, Shara…
There is global recognition that woodland expansion could be one of the most effective solutions in the fight against climate change. However, new research has…
Scientists record the highest levels of atmospheric mercury pollution in the world in a pristine patch of the Peruvian Amazon. If you had to guess…
The Daintree region of Queensland, Australia, is home to one of the world’s oldest forests and hosts a vast range of unique species. There are…
A water-borne fungus that has led to the extinction of several species of amphibians that spend all or part of their life cycle in water…
Knowing the steps is not the same thing as knowing how to dance. Similarly, policy interventions to stop deforestation are most effective when enacted in…
“Mystery plant” from the Amazon declared a new species after nearly 50 years of flummoxing scientists. In 1973, a scientist stumbled upon a strange tree…
Increasing numbers of deforestation fires are darkening skies in Rondônia and Amazonas. Since the 1970s, tree clearing in the Amazon basin has reduced the size…
A study published June 16, 2021, in Biotropica by a team of researchers at the University of Washington, the UW Burke Museum of Natural History…
Amazonian regions that have undergone the most extensive deforestation and have the greatest potential for large-scale forest recovery currently have the lowest levels of recovery….
A new index shows that the world’s rainforests are responding differently to threats like a warming climate and deforestation. Scientists from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory…
A major drought and forest fires in the Amazon rainforest killed billions of trees and plants and turned one of the world’s largest carbon sinks…